Movie reviews of George Wolf

Last Looks carves out a throwback mystery that’s engaging enough, and – whenever Gibson’s around – even devilish fun. Review

Trier and Reinsve craft small, indelible moments that bind together for a refreshingly honest look at how, as John Lennon once said, life happens when you’re busy making other plans. Review

The hits and the misses keep coming, equally likely to leave you laughing, wincing, or checking your watch. Review

Much like a troubled mark facing dwindling options and a ticking clock, Confession just ends up saying too much. Review

Scodelario is a charismatic presence, both Brosnan and William Hurt seem to enjoy elevating the material, and some of the interior set pieces are lovely and lavishly presented. So what gives with the outdoors? What action there is boasts all the authenticity of a live-action theme park show and some not-nearly-ready-for-prime-time underwater effects. Review

Lélis and Mendonça both deliver wonderfully insightful performances, as their characters try their best to make a go of a relationship never meant to be long term. Review

The performances from Nishijima and Miura are equally understated and effecting. They peel away their characters’ defenses with a deep sense of purpose, cementing Hamaguchi’s use of those long drives as a metaphorical journey. Review

Seydoux is almost enough to forgive it all, with Dumont making sure his lens loves her as much as the TV cameras love France herself. And while that might not seem a difficult task when the luminous Seydoux is involved, it’s a crucial element that goes a long way toward helping the film resonate as much it does. Review

Is it enough to merit that next adventure the finale hints at? Not really, but it’s just enough to make one three-year-old conversation worthwhile. Review

The moral high ground of A Hero is constantly shifting, which proves to be the perfect anchor for a gifted filmmaker’s latest examination of modern life’s often messy ambiguities. Review

While Affleck adds another fine showing to his current winning streak, there’s not much else in The Tender Bar to convince you the book was worth a big screen adaptation at all. Review

The best science fiction tales succeed when their glimpses of the future help us reassess the present. Mother/Android gets there, eventually, with a measured pace that seems much more confident when the party’s over. Review

Jude has some strong views of his own, about modern life and how cinema should best reflect it. He doesn’t hold much back in Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, a film that leans into its absurdity for a boldly extreme and worthwhile declaration. Review

In short, it looks freaking fantastic. It sounds pretty great, too, even beyond the genius of Bernstein’s melodies and Sondheim’s lyrics. Review

Though the overall tapestry flirts with self-indulgence before the young Fabi finds his calling, Sorrentino has crafted a warm and often wonderful homage to the people, places, and twists of fate that make us what we are. Review

Just don’t mistake the laughs in Don’t Look Up for a lack of outrage or conviction. McKay and one of the year’s best ensembles find space for all three. Review

Follow its admittedly jarring path and Agnes just might make you find comfort in your next ham sandwich. Review

There’s more than enough here – from the narrative core to the stellar ensemble to the clinical production design and beyond – for a compelling and thought provoking parable. But while Biancheri’s ambitions are bold and worthy, her second feature can’t quite settle on a species. Review

Amin’s actual voice in their conversations adds startling depth to the reenacted memories, and as our childlike comfort with animated scenes clashes with the uncomfortable scenes depicted, Flee‘s bracing resonance only intensifies. Review

14 Peaks will help you discover both a man and a mission. Separately, they’re pretty compelling. Together, they’re a force of nature. Review

House of Gucci is a star-powered and entertaining way to feel a whole lot better about your own family. Review

The Power of the Dog finds its own power in what it shows but never truly tells. It’s a film that is hauntingly lyrical and masterfully assembled, with a beauty that lingers like an echo in the Montana wilderness. Review

But is it fun? Oh yeah, with some slick CGI and high points that are zuuler than the other side of the pillow. Review

Garfield delivers an electric, committed performance, singing well and absolutely selling the manic, no-sleep-til-curtain-time tunnel vision that Larson clings to instead of admitting that there might be any other way to live. Review